We’re losing the long war on ISIS

Military success alone doesn’t lead to political stability.

Widespread destruction in residential neighbourhoods near Attan, April 21, 2015. The war in Syria and Iraq has left a trail of devastation. A massive reconstruction effort, on the scale of the post-1945 Marshall Plan in Western Europe, awaits. If the conflict in Syria were to end today, the World Bank estimates that U.S. $170-billion would be needed to rebuild the country. By comparison, since 2014, the U.S. has spent roughly U.S. $7-billion on its war with ISIS. Photograph courtesy of Ibrahem Qasim